Elegant Expressions

Iffat Ara Khan's deep and bold voice, singing Tagore songs, takes one into a reverie and has one asking for more. She definitely conquers the stage with her melody, enthralling the crowd.

As she takes her morning tea, one can't help noticing her near-to-perfect ways. Starting from her starched sari, her well-made hair, to her 'spick and span' hall room, everything has a touch of her artistic and elegant self. After completing her courses from Chayyanaut, Iffat became an enlisted artiste for both Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, in 1968. Since then she has entertained the mass here and abroad with not only her Tagore songs, but also the old Bangla songs.

In 1981, her first album of Rabindra Sangeet came out. Today, one finds her CD albums, titled Aji Jhorer Ratey, Modhur Rupey Biraj Hey, Nayan Meley Dekhi and Amar E Pathe. She also has albums of Bangla Songs of the old days, namely Haat Dhorey Tumi Niye Chalo Shokha, Jibon Nodir Oparey, Hey Amar Duro Chawa and many others.

Iffat Ara is also a painter. 'I like to paint', she smiles. 'I wouldn't make any obvious connection of this with my singing, but it's just a passion, just like singing.' Iffat's first solo painting exhibition took place in 1992 at the German Cultural Centre. Since then she has had several solo exhibitions in the country including the one at the Bengal Gallery and one in Singapore.

It is obvious to one that Iffat Ara lives for herself; her passions and her loved ones. She has created a world where she reigns and builds strokes of expressions, through her music and brushes.